Coatings update: a look at the future

The coatings industry, as well as the chemical industry of which it is a part, is being subjected to stress. There are numerous ways to react to stress. One way to react to stress is to prognosticate, and the coatings industry has not been without those who wish to forecast its future. To attempt to delve into the future is both interesting and important and, accordingly, in this report we shall examine some of these forecasts. But first let us review briefly the origin of the stress to which the coatings industry is being subjected.